The rules of the game
by meleander
Summary: After a hundred years, a damned man, who plunged Raven Court into a never ending war in the Nexus comes back, looking for a chance of redemption. Never did he know that the fate had other plans for him and a certain young demon huntress. This is a dark story. A story of love, redemption, and many secrets.


**After some break I decided to write some more! This time I'm pretty sure I'm going to be able to end this story - this is where I apologize to all the Merlin's fans for not continuing and putting the rest of my stories on Hiatus ;)**

 **Special thanks to everyone who helped me while I was working on this chapter! This chapter is dedicated to my new beta readers: CrimsonCrush, , lotrspnfangirl and Yoshida Megumi-chan! Without your support, this chapter wouldn't be as compelling as it is right now! :)**

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The rules of the game

Prologue: The death at the Raven Court

"Damn it. Damn it," my sovereign was furiously pacing around the spacious, dark and ominously looking courtroom. His long coat was fluttering behind him as he quickly but nervously walked from one place to another, trying to consider every option he had left. My eyes moved from his sigil, a big, black raven and focused on the rest of my lord's court.

Ren was as composed as always, his slim hands were holding one of the maps, his blue eyes focused on its content, slowly moving from one part of the map to another. Even now he is thinking about what could be done. I didn't acknowledge him at our first meeting. A young knowledgician. Who would have thought he would be sitting today with us and be the one who would never think of a surrender? For a quick moment his slim left hand let go of the map he held only to brush his long, dark hair and return to its old position, holding his paper. Useless. No matter what, the time for such measures was long over. My eyes focused on the next person, sitting near Ren.

I never did like Farklar. His scrawny, sleazy looks and his general demeanor caused him the distrust of everyone else from the court. I have never understood how our lord could withstand Farklar's constant chortling. A lonely frog between the mighty ravens.

"My lord, let me go." Garrandel slowly rose from his seat, and my focus turned to his monstrously big and muscly silhouette. If anyone, he was the only Raven official who could keep his cool in that kind of situation.

"I have some ideas, here…" Ren also stood from his seat, but Garrandel slowly rose his hand in response, stopping him.

"No," his head turned to the lord, speaking nonchalantly. "We didn't get a chance to do anything yet. Let us go." His eyes met the lord's in a struggle. Half of the court knew that Garrandel was right. If anyone, he was the most reliable person in this courtroom.

"Umm…" Farklar's chortling made even me snap, as I rose from my seat and turned to this pathetic excuse of a being, "Quiet frog!"

"Oy!" The lord's dark, blue eyes tried to pierce me, but as always, he lacked a strong will. "Stop it now!" He nagged. I always knew he was no good. He lacked both the spirit and the intelligence accordingly, as all knowledgicians. We should have put Garrandel as our leader a long time ago, before someone else realized that the actual lord is incompetent and weak. His weak-willed eyes were looking at mine, not going down. Knowledgicians never knew their places. Our history was in shits every time one of them came to a power in our court.

"This is your fault," he said, his teeth gritted as he was looking at me. His hand sprang forward with his finger pointing me and then the rest of his court. "You fools. You never listened to me. You were acting without my approval, feigning ignorance." I heard as the rest of the court rose from their seats.

"You should compose yourself, Lord," spoke Garrandel and turned to me, "Denkler, take command over the proceedings, I'm taking the Ravens and going to resolve this problem."

"I forbid you," the lord lost his composure, quickly moving towards a calm and composed Garrandel, who was giving the lord a peaceful, but irritated look.

"On my position as the Lord of the Raven Court I forbid you," he gritted nervously. "I forbid you, do you hear me?" The lord gasped pitifully, waving his hands in front of Garrandel's face.

"Your behaviour is unsightly, Lord," Garrandel glanced at the two of his attaches. "Please help the lord to calm himself."

"Unhand me!" The lord screamed as Jakler and Amain tried to calm him down. What an unsightly scene, for the lord of the Raven Court to act in such a manner. If only his father had raised him better. Or at least recognized that his son was becoming a defeatist and a dangerous zealot, and removed him from power himself. But no one would know that his son would become a knowledgician and even after that no one suspected he would abstain from his family ways, betraying his lineage, betraying us all.

Galleris rushed to him, standing up from his seat, trying to move past me, old knowledgician fool.

"Sit down," I asked him politely, showing my respect even when he didn't deserve it. But he never even looked at me, trying to run around me, ignoring me. Damn zealot. I grabbed him by his coat and pulled back. He gasped as the coat strangled him and fell back.

"Please stop this madness." The old man was trying to order me around but I have had enough of their constant provocations. I punched him right in the stomach with my left hand, still holding him by his coat with my right hand. He whimpered and his body softened, hanging on my right hand. I released the grip on his black coat, letting his body fall to the ground. I looked around the courtroom. Garrandel was leaving with one of his men. Ren stepped in the lord's direction only to be pushed back. Placker swung with his hand, hitting Ren's maps, still in his hands. The maps fell to the ground and Placker stepped on them, pushing Ren with his left hand, making him lose his balance and fall on the blue chair behind him.

And then something unexpected happened. Jakler fell to the ground. For a moment no one realized what had just happened before we looked at the heavily breathing lord. His hands were trembling as he held a bloody knife in them. And then we realized that the red carpet around Jakler was becoming darker and darker every second.

Amain's eyes widened as he pulled his own knife to defend himself. That should never happen against a lord, but the young lad had to be terrified seeing as the lord attacked his comrade unprovoked.

Unexpectedly Farklar sprung forward, grabbing Amain with his sleazy, slim hands, babbling and stuttering. Amain turned to his grotesque silhouette and stabbed a knife in his chest with one swift movement, ending his life.

"No!" Before anyone was able to react the lord threw his knife, hitting Amain's neck.

"Grab him!" I shouted to everyone, moving forward. Lord or not he had to be held responsible and suffer consequences for attacking Jakler and Amain. Especially in this courtroom, where any kind of violence was forbidden.

"Stand down," I tried to reason with him, pulling my long knife from its black sheath located near my right hip. But he just wouldn't listen.

The lord tried to kick me and I smirked, knowing he just made an ultimate mistake. My hands moved down to intercept his leg and throw him on the floor, only to grab empty air. Before I realized it the lord moved his leg back, and thrusted with his right hand, slashing my neck and almost falling down due to the technique's backslash. I recognized the technique, blinking. He was a knowledgician. He shouldn't know any martial techniques, it was against the law. The blood burst out from my neck, but I didn't have to worry, it should regenerate instantly. I jumped alongside my other companions, trying to disarm the still fighting lord.

"It's futile." The words didn't come out of my mouth. Instead I felt the blood rushing out of my mouth. Something was off. I lifted my hand and touched my neck. It was still bleeding. My gaze fell on one of the knives used by the lord. Amain was still laying on the floor. And the slim, short knife that was sticking out from Amain's thick, bloody neck was silver.

"You!" I shouted, spitting my blood.

"Yes," gasped the visibly tired lord. "I expected it would come to this so I have prepared those in advance," he smirked venomously. "How does it feel to lose your blood slowly, dying?" He smiled demonically, gasping from exhaustion.

"You can't win," I felt my head spin, I was losing more and more blood. Everything was becoming hazy and blurred, and I felt weaker than I have ever felt.

"You wanted this so much", the lord retreated near one of the high windows, still fighting with the rest of our court. "The chaos, the inequality, the old law. You can get it", he spat venomously.

"Surrender," Garrandel's voice came from far away.

This time it was the lord's voice. It came from afar. He was saying something but I couldn't make sense out of his words anymore. I heard him shouting about "Nexus". About new heroes and a new hope. Someone shouted to stop him. I think it was Garrandel but I wasn't sure anymore. There was struggle. And shouting. And then I heard my lord's cry. It wasn't loud, but it was definitely louder then everything else. Then he screamed again. And again. He had to be in pain, I realized. Then he screamed for the last time. Loudly and painfully. I remembered at last why he was able to use martial arts. Because I taught him when he was little. I felt proud for a moment. It was so long and he still remembered my teachings, even when I have forgotten they ever took place. For a moment, I was contemplating what else my little lord was remembering from our time together before I decided to let it go and let the creeping sleepiness take over me.

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 **So this is the prologue! Please tell me in your reviews if you did like it and what do you expect will happen :) I want to know if the easter eggs I put inside this one were noticed by anyone! :)**

 **Also in the next chapter you will be able to meet main characters ;)**


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